Perennials, 2.5–14 cm; caudices branched; taproots 3–13+ cm. Stems 8–30+, simple, moderately stout to stout, not wiry, villous to pilose. Leaves: basal persistent (similar to cauline); cauline only a few pairs clustered with basal, absent distally, blades narrowly to broadly oblanceolate or spatulate, 10–80 × 3–10 mm, margins evenly to irregularly serrate or serrulate, teeth 3–14 per side, each tipped with white bristle 0.5–2 mm, faces sparsely to moderately hairy. Heads 1. Peduncles moderately to densely white-puberulent, eglandular; ebracteate. Involucres depressed-hemispheric, 5–8 × 10–25 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, broadly linear to lanceolate, 2.5–13 mm, apices acute to acuminate, tipped by white seta, faces moderately puberulent. Ray florets 20–35; corollas pink to purple, tubes 2–3.5 mm, laminae 9.3–15 × 2.2–4.3 mm. Disc florets 50–150+; 4.5–6.5 mm. Cypselae narrowly obovoid to oblong, 1.7–3 mm, weakly 10–20-nerved or -ribbed, moderately to densely covered with whitish to tawny hairs; pappi whitish to tawny, 3.5–6 mm, a few abaxial bristles to 1/3 of longest. 2n = 8, 16.
